The Nice Treaty puts the European Union's house in order for the entry of more countries, but without undermining Ireland's place within it, the Taoiseach Mr Ahern said yesterday.
Speaking at the Government's launch of the Nice Treaty referendum campaign, Mr Ahern said that moving from 15 to a possible 27 member-states clearly required the EU to make some changes in the way it was organised. However, the Union's basic character would not be altered, he said.
"The balances between the member-states, large and small, and within and among the institutions - the Council, the Commission, the Parliament and the Court - will be substantially the same in the future as the past."
Ireland, he said, as part of the EU, would continue to have far more influence over its destiny in the world than it would on its own. He welcomed the "lively debate on Nice".
"The Irish people will be able to see what this treaty involves, despite the allegations that it is in some way `beyond' ordinary people. They know well that it means that we are opening the door to EU membership for countries of Eastern Europe. "Despite what they hear they know that the Treaty of Nice will not create a two-tier Europe. It will not create a European army. It will not create a federal European superstate. It has nothing to do with our policies on moral or family issues," he said.
On the contrary, he said at the launch which was attended by a number of members of the Cabinet and the diplomatic community, people would recognise the treaty was about offering the hand of friendship and opportunity to some of the oldest and greatest European nations and about Ireland using her influence to do good in a changing Europe.
"I believe that the people will not be swayed by unfounded fears or reckless claims - many of which have been made before by the long-standing opponents of Irish membership of the EU and have time and again been proved to be false."
"If you believe, like I do, and as do the great majority of the Irish people - 75 per cent according to the recent Eurobarometer poll - that the European Union has been good for Ireland up to now, then there is nothing in Nice which should change your mind."
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms Liz O'Donnell, said she believed Irish people would "rise to this challenge", primarily because they recognise the applicant countries deserve the same opportunity to strengthen their economies and to modernise their societies as Ireland received when it joined almost 30 years ago.
Contrary to the impression given in some quarters, the development of the EU's security and defence policy was based on the Amsterdam Treaty and the Nice Treaty only made limited changes to the existing provisions.
"It does not affect Ireland's policy of military neutrality. Ireland's participation in any crisis management mission remains a sovereign decision to be taken by the Government, subject to Oireachtas approval, and on a case-by-case basis."
Asked about the consequences of a No vote, Mr Ahern said it would certainly seem "ungracious" of this country if it rejected the Treaty, "not only by our present colleagues, who in their own way feel it is strange we have to have a referendum, but also from a European point of view it would hold up things in a way which would be very unfair". He said he did not anticipate a No vote.